Grand Olympia: Further Horizon - Chapter 9: Lone Defender

  The whole area had desded into plete chaos.

  The once-pristine forest, deh arees and vibrant foliage, was now a smoking battlefield. Explosions had left deep scars in the earth, craters of burnt soil and shattered rock littering the ground. The air was thick with the st of gunpowder, sweat, and blood, mingling with the distant roars of monsters drawn to the age. Fires flickered in the distaheir glow casting eerie shadows against the dense smoke hanging in the air.

  And at the heart of it all—these warriors cshed in an uing storm of steel, will, and raw power.

  As Musashi and Lapupu closed in on their enemies, a massive shadow loomed overhead.

  Yasuke had leapt into the air, his massive frame silhouetted against the backdrop of fire and smoke. His oni mask, devoid of humaion, made him seem more like a demon desding from the heavens.

  Gripping his kanabo tightly, Yasuke raised it high above his head, every muscle in his body tensing with brutal i. With a roar, he swung downward, the onyx steel kanabo cutting through the air like a fallieor.

  Musashi’s instincts screamed. He vaulted backward just in time.

  But Lapapu had no such luxury. Trapped. Mines fnked his left and right. If he retreated, he’d collide with Musashi. His only choice—face Yasuke head-on. Gritting his teeth, Lapupu raised his Kasag shield, pnting his feet deep into the ground.

  The collision was earth-shattering.

  The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield, the very air trembling from the sheer force. Lapupu skidded back several meters, his feet digging trenches into the soil to slow himself. His Kasag shield arm trembled, the sheer force of Yasuke’s strike nearly f his legs to buckle.

  But he held firm.

  Before he could recover, Yasuke swung again. Another devastating strike. Lapupu grunted but stood his ground, his shield abs the impact. Sparks flew as the two warriors locked into a brutal struggle of strength versus resilience.

  “Tell me, warrior—” Yasuke’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, his stanwavering. “What is your name? I wish to remember it.”

  LapulLapu, still holding his stance, gritted his teeth and pushed forward.

  “I am Lapupu… Datu of my people.” His gaze sharpened. “And you?”

  Yasuke’s grip on his onyx kanabo tightened. “I am Yasuke—named by my lord Nobunaga! I am his loyal retainer!”

  The words barely left his lips before fast, sharp footsteps echoed behind Lapupu.

  With bzing speed, he used Lapupu bad shoulder as a unchpad, vaulting into the air, his wooden katana whistling through the air in a horizontal arc pushing off with incredible force.

  Despite the pressure, Lapupu didn’t even flinch.

  Mid-air, Musashi twisted his body, gripping his wooden katana in his right hand, swinging toward Yasuke’s head.

  Yasuke saw it ing. He leaned back just in time, Musashi’s bde missing by air’s breath.

  But the real attack came from below.

  Lapupu lunged forward, thrusting his Kampin sword toward Yasuke’s exposed midse.

  The moment Musashi’s attack missed, Yasuke tered instantly.

  He swung his kanabo downward, intercepting Lapupu’s thrust. Sparks flew as steel met steel, the force of the block sending ripples through Yasuke’s massive frame.

  Yasuke wasted no time—he lifted his right leg a a crushing kick toward Lapupu.

  Lapupu raised his shield, but Yasuke had expected that.

  Instead of following through, Yasuke used the shield as leverage and vaulted over him, turning his powerful legs into ons.

  Before Musashi could react, Yasuke hurled himself toward him mid-air, tag him with immense force.

  Musashi barely had time to brace. The sheer momentum sent both warriors tumbling across where they previously stood, They narrowly avoided the deadly ndmines scattered across the ground. But her hesitated. In an instant, both warriors rolled to their feet, ons in hand, eyes locke

  The first strike came from Musashi.

  With both his wooden swords in hand, he unched a rapid series of lightning-fast strikes.

  Yasuke blocked the first. Then the sed. Thehird.

  But Musashi’s assault was relentless. Each strike grew faster. Sharper. More precise.

  The weight of Yasuke’s kanabo slowed him just enough to force him on the defensive. Cuts began appearing across his arms, legs, and torso. But Yasuke did not falter.

  Between their furious exge, Yasuke grinned beh his mask. “Tell me, Ronin. What is your name?”

  Musashi, still attag, smirked. “Miyamoto Musashi.”

  He twirled his bde in his grip, adjusting his stance.

  “I’ve heard of you before.”

  Yasuke’s flickered with i. “Oh?”

  Musashi’s smirk widened. “I was bht after your master’s death.”

  Yasuke let out a booming ugh. “Even after my great master’s passing, his legacy still lives!”

  Musashi’s smirk turned into a wild grin. “Heh. I wouldn’t call it a ‘legacy’—more like a crazy bastard born straight from hell.”

  Yasuke didn’t reply. He knew Musashi wasn’t wrong. He inwardly chuckled to himself.

  Still, he refused to let up. Despite his wounds, he kept pace with Musashi’s relentless barrage.

  Lapupu stood frozen for a moment. Before him y a dangerous field of ndmines. Beyond that, Musashi and Yasuke cshed like twing storms.

  He had been forced to pause, uo risk stepping forward blindly. But something wasn’t right.

  Yasuke had unched himself into the fight without hesitation. He wasn’t just fighting—he was maneuvering.

  Lapupu’s eyes narrowed. “…Don’t tell me he memorized every single ndmine pt?”

  If that were true… then that meant there was a safe path right in front of him. Behind him, the sounds of snarling and growling grew closer.

  Several wolf-like monsters, eaearly five meters tall, prowled toward him. Their glowing single cyclopean eyes locked onto their prey.

  Some wolves had already been caught in buried explosives, their bodies torn apart by the bsts. And some got shot by Gee.

  But a few had survived.

  Lappu exhaled. There was no time to hesitate. L his shield slightly, he broke into a sprint, running straight into the battlefield.

  From a distance, Gee’s eyes widened. “Madman… what if you step on a ndmine?!”

  Lapupu didn’t stop. Step after step—nothing. He had guessed right.

  He was moving straight through the safe routes where no ndmines were pced.

  Reag striking range, he lunged, unleashing a devastating thrust toward Yasuke’s exposed back.

  But Yasuke, already anticipating an attack, still mid swing up top of his head heading towards Musashi, but Musashi narrowly dodge and twisting his kanabo to deflect Lapupu’s thrust behind him.

  The three warriors locked eyes.

  Yasuke’s grih his mask widened. “You are peerless warriors. To step forward despite danger—you do not ck ce.”

  Musashi swung toward Yasuke’s right. Yasuke blocked. Lapupu thrust forward. Yasuke parried mid-motion.

  Then—a heavy steel anchor came flying toward them. Musashi barely dodged in time.

  Edward ughed in the distaill whipping his steel s.

  “Having trouble there, big guy?! Why haven’t you killed them yet?!”

  Yasuke only smirked. “I appreciate the assistance.”

  The battle paused. Yasuke adjusted his stanbsp;

  Musashi and Lapupu mirrored him.

  Yasuke exhaled. He had fought many enemies. But this time—he was fighting equals. And for the first time in a long time, he felt alive.